Whether it's your first time or your sixth time, writing a novella in 12 weeks isn't easy.
As a 2021 ONC Winner and 2023 Honorable Mention, I would know. After years of participation and reflection, I have lots of advice to share on how I did it. In...
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Deadlines are a big motivator for a lot of people and thankfully the ONC is full of them! I advise you take advantage of them as best you can with a writing timeline. Not only will this keep you on track, but it'll ensure you don't miss one of the submission deadlines.
The deadlines for 2024 are: 2,000 word milestone: February 29, 11:59 p.m. EST (New York) time 8,000 word milestone: March 31, 11:59 p.m. EST (New York) time 20,000 word milestone/finished novella: April 30, 11:59 EST (New York) time
The contest's writing timeline runs for 89 days. If you were to write the minimum 20,000 words, this totals out to 224 words a day. 40,000 words would be twice that, at 448.
Here are some things I recommend you include on your timeline: - Deadlines (obviously, lol) - When you will be at school, work, or special events and won't be able to write - When you want to post your chapters - Where you want your word count or plot to be at by certain dates - Goals for the week (whether it relates to word count and or story development) - Rest, revision, and catch up days.
Pro tip! Be sure to know exactly when the submission form closes for each round. Use a time zone converter if you must since the Eastern Standard Time (EST) zone is what the contest runs on. Make a big note either by bolding or highlighting when you need to submit for each round in your timeline. You don't want to work so hard only to be disqualified because your WiFi cut-out at the last minute!
